Palawan Horned Frog - A cryptic frog endemic to Palawan

     The Pelobatrachus ligayae (Taylor, 1920) or the Palawan Horned Frog is a species of amphibian in the Megophryidae family that can be found only in the province of Palawan. It inhabits secondary growth forests, lowland and montane rainforests where it is active day and night.
 

Juvenile Pelobatrachus ligayae.

     The Palawan Horned Frog has an elongated “horn” present on each upper eyelid. The skin color varies from reddish brown to gray. The body shape and color resemble the appearance of a forest ground floor.

Pelobatrachus ligayae in mossy forest habitat.

     The Pelobatrachus ligayae is a slow moving frog that use camouflage as primary defense against predators. When it feels threatened, it usually remains immobile unless touched or molested.

Pelobatrachus ligayae in wetland habitat.

     Although this horned frog has a wide distribution in Palawan and occurs in forested areas from around sea level up to the mossy forests in the mountains, finding them is usually hard. They blend well on the leaf-covered forest floor and will remain quiet and immobile until the threat is gone.

Pelobatrachus ligayae with nice camouflage color.

     This awesome frog is now listed as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List. The major threat is the destruction of habitats. This species is threatened by the continuing decline of both lowland and montane rainforest habitats due to agricultural activities in Palawan.